Liquid graduate



Jan. 20, 1953 E. ERICKSON 2,625,823

LIQUID GRADUATE Filed April 25, 1948 INVEN TOR.

' El MER 4. E'R/GKSO/V A TTYJmYET' Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID GRADUATE Elmer L. Erickson, Brookings, S Dak.

Application April 23, 1948, Serial N 0. 22,790

1 Claim.

This invention. relates to measuring vessels of the type that are relatively tall compared to base size and therefore likely to be knocked over accidentally during use.

My invention is particularly concerned with laboratory devices such as liquid graduates which usually are made of frangible material such as glass and hence commonly become broken when toppled.

Regardless of whether the device can be or does become broken, if it contains a liquid or other material that can be spilled, all or a portion of the contents can be lost. In addition, the contents may cause damage to other elements or become mixed with other chemicals at hand.

It is the primary object of the present invention to substantially eliminate the above mentioned hazards by devising a measuring device that has an upright and relatively unstable position in which it stands for reception of material to be measured, and a second, much more stable position in which it can be placed for safetys sake.

It is another major object of this invention, in constructing a device of the character just mentioned, to so shape it that the contents can not run out when it is placed in its most stable position.

Specifically, the device of my invention comprises a tall vessel having a relatively small base flattened on one side, and having an outlet neck bent or curved laterally from the opposite side. In most cases the body will have a vertical column of indicia marked thereon or indented therein.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention should clearly appear from a study of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a preferred form of the present invention, embodying a liquid graduate standing in upright position.

Fig. 2 is a view looking towards the right hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the graduate.

Fig. 4 shows the device, in longitudinal section, in its recumbent or stable position.

With continued reference to the drawing, the numeral Ii designates the hollow transparent body of a graduate. It is marked vertically with the usual column of indiciae to measure the quantities of liquid poured into the graduate or withdrawn therefrom. The material may be glass or any other suitable plastic.

The body has an integral flat base 1, conventional except for the important fact that it is 2 provided with a straight, flat side edge 2. When the graduate is laid down in substantially horizontal position, with this edge resting upon the work table, the graduate cannot roll. This feature is especially important if the device is formed of frangible material.

The edge 8 need not be straight, it being necessary only that it engage the table at two widely spaced points. For example, it may be concave or otherwise recessed between the two points.

The upper end of the body 5 merges into a neck 9 that is bent (preferably curved) laterally to offset its discharge end in a direction away from the plane of the edge 8. The neck has a pouring lip 19. The purpose of the bend is to prevent the escape of liquid from the graduate when it is disposed horizontally. As seen in Fig. 4, enough liquid (!2) can be poured into the body 5 to fill the latter, and yet none can flow out through the neck.

It should be noted that the lip It faces in the same direction as the indicia 5 so that a person pouring out liquid can do so carefully and at the same time observe the measured quantity withdrawn. Also it is important that the indicia are disposed, as shown, so that they are degrees from the flat edge 8 (likewise 90 degrees from the direction of neck offset) as well as on the same side as the lip, for the convenience of the operator in laying the device down with a natural motion of the arm after reading the scale. The same convenience is afforded when picking it up.

A second advantage in offsetting the neck in a direction away from the edge 8 is that it moves the vertical center line of gravity towards the right in Fig. 1 and hence towards the wide portion of the base 7 to give the graduate greater stability in its upright position.

Obviously, some changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the upper portion of one side of the body 5 may be flattened, either with or without change in the perimetral shape of the base I (which might be fully cylindrical). Or, means may be provided on the neck 9 opposite its direction of offset to keep the neck pointed upwardly when the graduate is laid down upon a fiat surface.

Therefore, I wish to be limited, as is customary, only by a reasonably liberal interpretation of the scope of the appended claim;

l/Vhat is claimed is:

A measuring vessel comprising a transparent, tubular, upright column provided at its upper end with an inclined offset neck and at its lower end with a supporting base, said base extendin laterally from the column and having a fiat side edge disposed on the side of the column opposite that side from which the offset neck extends whereby the vessel may be held against rotation when the latter is laid down horizontally, a pouring lip formed on said neck approximately 90 degrees from the direction of said offset neck, there being a series of indicia on said column directly below said lip.

ELMZER L. ERICKSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Country Date Germany June 6, 1935 

